On the occasion of the 52nd World Day of Peace, Pope Francis highlighted the need for politics to be at the service of peace and urged all persons of goodwill to contribute to help build the common home “grounded in law and in frank and fair relations between individuals”.
Pope Francis greets faithful in St. Peter’s Square. (Photo: neneo/Shutterstock
Pope Francis stated that political responsibility belongs to every citizen, in particular to those who have been given the mandate to protect and govern. “This mission – continued the Pope – consists in safeguarding the law and encouraging dialogue between all actors of society, between generations, and between cultures”.
Politics must concretely foster the talents of young people and their aspirations, because – explained the Pope -“when politics aims only at protecting the interests of a few privileged individuals, the future is compromised, young people lose confidence […] and disgrace is brought within the public life, undermining the ideal of an authentic democracy and threaten social harmony”.
This new year brings new challenges, including Brexit and the 2019 EU elections. Pope Francis invites all of us to face all challenges with responsibility, keeping always in mind that “good politics is at the service of peace”.
The present moment constitutes a good opportunity to reflect about the future direction of the European peace project because, as Pope Francis stated, “every election, every stage of public life, is an opportunity to return to the original points of reference that inspire justice and law”.
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